UPDATE: ‘Midnight Rider’ Exec Producer Jay Sedrish Pleads Not Guilty

4th UPDATE, AUGUST 18, 7:58 AM: Jay Sedrish, the executive producer/unit production manager of the ill-fated Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider, waived his right for an arraignment early this morning and has entered a not guilty plea to criminal trespassing and involuntary manslaughter in the on-set death of 27-year-old assistant camera assistant Sarah Jones. She died on the first day of shooting the picture in Georgia, on February 20, after a train hit a metal bed that was placed on the tracks to film a dream sequence. Several others were injured by flying debris. Sedrish, director Randall Miller and Miller’s wife/producer Jody Savin were all criminally charged in the matter. Miller and Savin entered not guilty pleas last month.

Sedrish’s not guilty plea, which was entered early this morning to the Superior Court of Wayne County by his attorney John Ossick, comes only a week after the U.S. Department of Labor cited the production for one willful and one serious safety violation. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels stated at the time, “It is unacceptable that Film Allman LLC knowingly exposed their crew to moving trains while filming on a live track and railroad trestle” and that “employers are responsible for taking the necessary precautions to protect workers’ health and safety, and the entertainment industry is no exception.”

The safety violations were cited by OSHA on August 14th, and the company has until August. 29th to pay a proposed $74,900 fine or contest the violations. Two days before, on August 12th, lawyers for Film Allman went into Los Angeles Superior court and sued the production’s insurer (New York Marine) over $1.6 million in denied insurance claims. The suitstated that script revisions submitted to the insurance company which altered project’s focus away from Allman’s life and onto a 1970s rock and roll story led the insurer to argue that since it was a new production, it was not covered under the original agreement that insured the Allman biopic.

“Even worse,” states Film Allman’s complaint, “New York Marine unjustifiably has taken the position that the policy no longer will insure Midnight Rider on a forward-going basis and has threatened to cancel the policy altogether, thereby leaving Film Allman without any insurance coverage for the restarted production. As a result, Film Allman is now saddled with over $1.6 million in losses and the prospect of having to abandon Midnight Rider entirely in light of New York Marine’s stated intention of cancelling the film’s insurance policy.”

3RD UPDATE, AUGUST 1, 11:49 AM: An arraignment date has been set for Midnight Rider executive producer/unit production manager Jay Sedrish who has yet to enter a plea on the charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing. He will be arraigned on August 21 and is expected in court at that time, according to the District Attorney’s office in Georgia which is handling the case. Randall Miller and Jody Savin entered Not Guilty pleas last month saying that in their opinions, the death of the 27-year old camera assistant Sarah Jones on the GA set of the Gregg Allman biopic was “a horrible tragedy and horrible accident” but did not rise to the level of a crime. Specifically, they stated: “In the weeks and months that follow when the true facts of the events are revealed, people will know that this was not a crime: we never had criminal intent; we would never knowingly or intentionally put anybody’s safety at risk.” The charge of involuntary manslaughter actually takes intent into account.

Specifically, according to the indictment of Miller, Savin and Sedrish, on Feb. 20th of this year it is alleged under the Involuntary Manslaughter count they “did unlawfully cause the death of Sarah E. Jones, a human being, without any intention to do so by the commission of an unlawful act other than a felony, to wit: Criminal Trespass …” If convicted, they face a maximum of ten years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter charge and another year for criminal trespassing (which is considered a misdemeanor). Sedrish’s attorney was unavailable to comment Friday.

2ND UPDATE, JULY 17, 9:57 AM:Midnight Rider executive producer/unit production manager Jay Sedrish turned himself in this morning to the Wayne County, GA police and was booked and released after posting a $27,700 bond. This comes after his fellow filmmakers Randall Miller and Jody Savin turned themselves in earlier this week. All three were charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones. They were also charged with criminal trespassing for filming on a train trestle when, according to police, they had no permit to shoot on the tracks.

One of the key points in the case is that Wayne County Sheriff Sgt. Ben Roberston, in his initial report about the incident, wrote: “In my presence, Mr. Sedrish was asked by an employee of CSX if he had permission to be on the trestle or tracks and Mr. Sedrish replied, ‘That’s complicated.’ According to the CSX employee, the production company had previously been denied permission to film on the trestle, and there was electronic correspondence to verify that fact.”

UPDATE, JULY 15, 6:57 AM: As of this morning, Midnight Rider executive producer/unit production manager director Jay Sedrish has not yet turned himself in, but we are told he has another week and that arrangements are being made to meet that timetable. Director Randall Miller and producer Jody Savin, who along with Sedrish, could face 10 years in prison for the tragic on-set death of camera assistant Sarah Jones.

PREVIOUS, JULY 14, 12:10 AM:Midnight Rider director Randall Miller and producer Jody Savin turned themselves in to police Sunday in Georgia following their July 3 grand jury indictments in the death of camera assistant Sarah Jones. The two posted a $27,700 bond and were released, a Wayne County Sheriff’s Department rep confirmed to Deadline. Miller, Savin, and Sedrish were charged with involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing by prosecutors in Wayne County following a months-long investigation by local authorities.

Jones was killed outside of Jesup, GA on February 20 when she was struck by a freight train as she and others ran for their lives during the filming of a scene that involved placing a metal hospital bed (that was to have star William Hurt in it) on live train tracks. It was one of the most egregious tragedies on a movie set in recent memory, because they were not permitted to be on the tracks. Several other crew members were also injured in the accident. The film’s crew members were on the CSX railroad-owned tracks of the Doctortown train trestle for the shoot by Unclaimed Freight Productions Inc., the production company owned by Miller and Savin. The tragedy has created an outcry for reforms in productions and safety on movie sets.

Under Georgia law, a manslaughter conviction would carry a sentence of 10 years in prison. Criminal trespass is a misdemeanor and carries potential sentence of one year.

70 Comments

I am unclear on one of the basic facts regarding the situation. They were shooting on the tracks without permission and without making sure that no trains would be coming?!

doug • on Jul 15, 2014 7:06 am

Yes, they had no permission and did not take the proper precautions with the train schedule.

Reality • on Jul 15, 2014 8:51 am

Not sure if these charges will stick, but amazingly stupid on their part. A college crew might have been able to get away with this type of guerrilla filmmaking, but not a regular production with all the equipment. If the criminal charges don’t stick, a civil suit certainly will. They’re in charge and they’re responsible. Simple as that.

Colcam • on Jul 17, 2014 10:50 am

A “college crew” should still follow the rules, get the permits, dot every last “i” and cross every “t” each and every time.

“Hey, we’re students, we can get away with it” gets people killed, too.

Crew Member • on Aug 8, 2014 7:49 pm

Yes you are correct, but not only did they take no reasonable safety precautions, they deceived the crew into thinking it was safe and legal for them to be on the trestle. William Hurt even objected but was assured it was safe to be on the trestle. The tragedy was totally preventable, they chose to put the crew at risk.

Anonymous • on Aug 18, 2014 1:01 pm

Yes, and not simply on the tracks but on tracks that were on an elevated trestle from which there was no easy escape route.

I don’t think it’s fair to insinuate that all guerilla filmmaking is somehow complicit. There are small productions that are very conscientious and safety oriented but just prefer to fly under the radar with tiny crews and low budgets. These productions can be a valuable part of the system and train generations of filmmakers who would otherwise not be getting practical experience. What you had here was a professional crew with a real budget that simply ignored the rules and basic common safety sense. That’s why these charges are being brought.

AM • on Jul 16, 2014 2:02 pm

Steve, I agree, but I have been in the tv/film industry for years and even these small productions you speak of try to cut corners, with simply expecting their employees to work 12 hour days instead of hiring enough people to do the work. I lost a friend to an on-the-job hemorrhaged aneurysm and know first hand what the industry expectations are. Networks do not pay out the same rate per show or film, ie shows such as CSI, Boardwalk Empire, and NCIS get millions PER episode where as other shows only get $200,000 per episode. Please, don’t use the union versus non-union argument. Every show I’ve been on that tried to become Union was cancelled before the season even ended. Networks neither want to pay the higher wages nor want the union rules to be implemented. If it weren’t for these less popular shows there would not be networks. That all said, the networks should also burden some of the blame. The networks scuff off issues like these onto production companies, but the networks set the precedent of giving the contracts to the lowest bidder. Thus the only way for production houses to compete and get the contract is to cut corners and then in turn make employees comply or risk being fired. An average work day for me is 12 hours and often 16 hour days are expected. The moment you complain or say you are exhausted you are fired. Yes, my common sense wants me to say no, but I need the job.

Anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 7:24 am

Is this a joke? All on her own, The girl literally ran onto the train tracks and got hit. It doesn’t take a genius to hear or see a TRAIN coming from a mile away.

Anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 7:39 am

THIS is actually the attitude that gets people hit by trains. I don’t know the layout of the area but my guess is that this is an area with multiple sets of train tracks going in multiple directions and even if you knew a train was coming you may not be able to determine on which set of tracks or from which direction before it was too late. This wasn’t a case of a group of people being too stupid to realize a train was coming. This was a case of a production team playing fast and loose with the safety of it’s employees.

Anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 7:52 am

Troll-ass troll.

Agent M • on Jul 15, 2014 7:58 am

Let’s see, you can try to outrun the train, run toward the train, jump off the bridge or squeeze back as far as you can and pray. Oh, and there’s a steel hospital bed on the tracks that turns into an IED on impact. Lots of great options. But YOU would know exactly what to do, because you’re so smart.

ed_209 • on Jul 15, 2014 8:08 am

You obviously know what you’re talking about.

SP • on Jul 15, 2014 8:37 am

No, not all on her own. She and several others including the lead actor were told there were no more trains coming and assured of their safety while setting up the shot, when all along, there were few safety precautions taken. She didn’t literally run onto the tracks and get hit. Idiot.

Jerry • on Jul 15, 2014 9:21 am

No. It’s not a joke.
She was not on her own. She was part of a full film crew, with the expectations that the producers, director, and 1st Assistant Director had done their jobs in prep, to assure crew safety.
You have no idea what the word “literally” means.
She did not run onto the tracks. She was instructed to set up Camera Equipment on the tracks – again, under the assumption that the producers, director, and 1st Assistant Director had cleared and permitted the train track for filming.
At 60mph, which is the speed that a train is traveling, you’d have one minute, from the moment you started moving to get off the tracks (FROM THE MIDDLE OF A BRIDGE, while carrying camera equipment).

You’re a f**king idiot.

Anonymous • on Aug 18, 2014 10:33 am

Go home, troll.

anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 8:11 am

Political correctness has gotten out of hand. She agreed to do the job, she walked onto the tracks of her own free will, and what happened happened. Sad as it is, there’s nobody to blame but Ms. Jones herself. Censor this if you like. I guess the truth hurts.

dictionary • on Jul 15, 2014 9:04 am

po·lit·i·cal cor·rect·ness –
noun.
the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.

anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 11:12 am

Yeah, it’s always somebody else’s fault, never the lady who walked on the train tracks. I don’t recall her complaining when these guys hired her and gave her a paycheck. Stories like this one is why personal responsibility is dead in this country. I’m sure she was a perfectly nice young lady and that she was fine at her job, but the lesson that should be taken from this is for future crew members to be more careful. Instead it will happen again because the blame is being passed on to someone else. Sort of like how Obama wants to always pass the blame on to Congress.

YouDon'tRecall? • on Jul 15, 2014 12:43 pm

You poor sad thing. Desperate for attention. How do I know you don’t actually believe that blaming the victim is right, but are just trying to get someone to pay attention to you? Because nobody that stupid would be able to use a computer.
Get help.

anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 2:55 pm

I think you have a false idea of who the victim is here. These guys gave her a job and a paycheck. If she were dissatisfied with that job, she had the right to quit and look for another one. Since she did not do that the blame for what happened falls on her shoulders. That’s basic common sense. Frivolous lawsuits like this one and insane union regulations have completely destroyed this country.

Your Ayn Randian stupidity is emblematic of the pseudo-conservative virus that infects the republican party and is inherently anti-American. Of course it could never be the rugged individualist greedy CAPITALIST who could be at fault for anything right, John Galt? Grow up and get your head out of your rectum.

Billy Beck • on Jul 16, 2014 9:43 am

In fact, the properly “capitalist” and selfish move would have been for that woman to walk away from those two idiots, laughing at them. It’s too bad that she didn’t.

“I was out of work when I got here. I don’t need you morons.”

AngryWhoDat • on Jul 16, 2014 8:10 am

And while you are brushing up on your 8th Grade Civics, you might want google the difference between “frivolous lawsuit” and FELONY INDICTMENT. This falls in the second category.

slatesforsarah • on Jul 17, 2014 1:15 pm

oh my god, shut up! this has nothing to do with obama or political correctness. you pretend to know what you are talking about, but you don’t even know what happened. how can crew members be more careful if these producers weren’t doing their jobs to keep them safe? the producers did not ensure that a train would not be coming through on that day they weren’t even permitted to be there in the first so it’s absolutely their fault that they put crew members in harm’s way for the sake of money. they were filming on bridged train tracks that was above a lake about 50ft high. it wasn’t that easy to get away, but keep on blaming the crew members like the awful human being you are.

Steve • on Jul 15, 2014 9:21 am

Your attempt at trolling is just kind of sad and doesn’t even anger me because it’s so ignorant that I don’t even really think you believe your own words.

tj • on Jul 15, 2014 2:45 pm

are we allowed to wish bad things for you? in processs!

FOCUSPULLER • on Jul 15, 2014 7:41 pm

I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say that your ignorance is willful. Because nobody could be that inherently STUPID.

How do you know what she agreed to? She could have been told permits were in place, that safety precautions were being taken seriously, etc. More likely than not she was doing what the DP was telling her to do, which was her job. It was someone else’s job to ensure everyone’s safety — what they were paid to do — but with this production company it seems that is what they’re paid not to do. And about that paycheck — she never had the chance to cash it.

Anonymous • on Aug 18, 2014 10:39 am

You idiot. I’ll try and explain it in terms you understand. You are a flight attendant. You get on a plane to work a shift. The pilot and the co pilot know that the plane is unsafe. They want to get paid so they put the plane in the air anyway. The plane crashes and you die. Is it your fault for being a flight attendant who goes to work that day?

Or, you work in an office. You go to work. There is a faulty gas pipe. The maintenance staff of your building knows there is a faulty gas pipe and they tell your management. Your management ignores them. The building blows up. You die. Is it your fault for going to work at the office building in the morning?

See the pattern?

Anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 8:26 am

Whether through prison sentences or financial ruin form the mounting civil lawsuits, these two are done in the film business.

Let this stand as a warning to other Producers who seek to cut corners at the expense of their crews. The party’s over. We will never work for these people again and we will boycott you if you play footloose and fancy free with our safety.

You are to be presumed innocent by the law and government until found guilty, that does not mean you are actually innocent if you committed the crime. These people were in charge and personally led the crew onto the trestle, for which they had asked and been denied permission. They violated industry standard protocols on multiple counts. The do not deny this, they do not deny being there where they had no legal permission and they don’t deny being in charge of the crew. While they clearly deserve their days in criminal and civil court, the evidence, combined with a grand jury indictment in one day, is pretty overwhelming. Even if they find a legal loophole, this tragedy was planned and managed by them, it was their responsibility to prevent. This is something they have not and can not deny, they were caught at the scene of the crime.

malibu • on Jul 15, 2014 9:05 am

As a Producer/EP with 25 years experience this falls directly on the production teams staff and the director unless the director was assured by the on set producers that all the safety precautions were taken care of.

Anonymous • on Aug 19, 2014 12:10 pm

Randall Miller, the Director, is also one of the owners of the production company, and a managing co-producer. He can thus not claim imunity by putting the responsibility on someone else. He is one of the on set producers.

People, please follow the links included in this article and inform yourselves before jumping to conclusions and making uninformed comments. They were filming on a train trestle and had to run TOWARDS the oncoming train in order to escape. They did not have permission from the railroad to be on the tracks. There were no safety meetings prior to attempting to get the shot. There were no railroad personnel present to ensure an incident like this did not occur. There was no Set Medic present. This was supposed to be a test day, not a shoot day. Unclaimed Freight has a history of cutting corners and taking risks in what they proudly boast is “guerrilla film making”.

Please get all the facts before you embarrass yourself with an insensitive, uniformed comment.

Thank you,

Christopher Markunas
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
Local #52
New York City

LPB • on Jul 16, 2014 9:46 am

It’s actually a little worse than that, Christopher.

From what I have read, not only did they not have permission to be on the tracks, they had asked the RR company for permission and been refused…and still went out there anyway.

Whether it be prison sentences or financial ruin due to the many civil suits filed against them, or both, these two are done in the Film Business.

Let this stand as a warning to ANY Producer or Production Manager who seeks to cut corners at the expense of the crew. We will no longer tolerate it. We have boycotted these two and their company, Unclaimed Freight Productions, and we WILL boycott you! If you choose to play footloose and fancy free with our safety we will shut you down in a New York Second.

The party is over. We’ve all had enough.

Poppy Akaji • on Jul 15, 2014 9:23 am

No PERMIT…………………That’s Illegal. That’s Criminal. BUSTED!

Christian • on Jul 15, 2014 9:32 am

I hope they fry in hell!!

AngryWhoDat • on Jul 15, 2014 10:48 am

I’d like to see them do some time, but the fact that they have been charged criminally is what counts. You can’t fix the mentality of people like them by making more rules, there were rules and they broke them. But if the people calling the shots know that they are betting their freedom as opposed to their production insurance company’s bank account, maybe they will think twice before taking risks with other peoples lives.

the next time a production asks you to do something dangerous w/o proper safety, have a picture of these two on your phone to show them what happens when rules / laws are ignored and something bad happens. you will be held accountable, not just a civil suit that insurance will pay out on, but your ass in jail for what I’ll bet turns out to be a couple years. I don’t think they’ll do 10, but a couple years would serve the industry very well to prevent stupid accidents from happening.

Then if we could ever get down to 10-12 hrs days, 10 hrs turn around….. because thats a huge safety issue too. we just lost a guy a few weeks ago who fell asleep driving home. if you can’t give use 10hrs turn around for a few days, at least get us a local hotel or trailer.

Unforgettable Sarah Jones • on Jul 15, 2014 1:36 pm

All professionals (producers/P.M.s) who represent this industry should only work under state laws that govern professional and legal conduct while filming.

No permits, no permission to work on train tracks and endangering the lives of crew and cast is simply unacceptable. Those responsible should face maximum criminal charges. This unprofessional conduct is a travesty and we all miss Sarah Jones. This can NEVER happen again!!!

Anonymous • on Jul 15, 2014 3:31 pm

Go look at Jody Savin’s bio on IMDB… It says “We make movies by our own rules”
Not too smart… I wonder how the jury will feel about that quote on her bio page?
Typical producer mentality.

Jeff DeVuono • on Jul 16, 2014 1:15 am

On dozens of occasions I was “asked” by producers to “steal a shot.” The producers were never there. We were always sent out alone. Several times it was on train tracks. Once we were caught by the police. They let us go because I told them that the truth of it was that if I said I wouldn’t do it, I would get fired (which I did) and the producers would just get someone who would do it. Every crew member I know (union or not) that has called out a dangerous or illegal situation has eventually been fired.

Sharon LAMI • on Jul 16, 2014 8:11 am

I think they should be arrested & if there is any justice will go to jail. But why is Deadline posting their mugshots? Is it turning into TMZ?

Anonymous • on Aug 19, 2014 12:17 pm

Sharon, These are not mug shots of someones personal life. These are mug shots of producers whose negligence on a film set caused a death and multiple injuries.

Steve Oakley…….a very good idea! I once sat with another senior DOD munitions specialist and informed two senior Army commanders that they could not do what they were proposing to do…….and showed them enlarged briefing photos of the last time someone in the Army had done the very thing they were proposing, 15 years earlier in a compound some scant 20 miles distant from where we were then sitting. The photos were of an entire Amry battalions destroyed equipment, all of it, the unit was not longer functional because of the fire and resulting explossions, and it was only by the grace of God that no one was killed. You aren’t popular, you might lose your job, but if done right, no one will lose their life. Good idea Steve, been there and did it, wasn’t popular but the decision process ended there, no more good and unsuspecting people being put at risk.

Anonymous • on Aug 5, 2014 1:05 am

Thank You. As a Production Designer I do exactly that. My decisions regarding safety are someone else’s wet blanket. But I’d rather be a wet blanket than tinder for the fire. My art crew would have never stepped foot on that bridge nor on a track live or not. No way. That’s why we have stunt riggers and effects crews. People trained to handle these kind of shots. Let them be the ones calling in to check on permits and insurance. Who the heck put the bed on a trestle bridge?

Paul Babin • on Jul 18, 2014 12:06 am

Some thoughts:
These mug shots are powerful images. Just as powerful as the photos of Sarah Jones that went out after her tragic death. When I look at the stark images of these two people, and they are people, I see suffering. Just as I saw suffering in the expressions of Sarah’s parents – spare me ever having to attend my child’s funeral.
The movie business and film crews run on the energy of child-like enthusiasm. It’s part of the lure. It makes the painful memories of past productions fade before the good ones. Unfortunately, this child-like engagement with film-making can lead a crew right over the cliff – smiling. So when someone suggests that Sarah bore some personal responsibility, they’re right. But there are laws in place which recognize child-like enthusiasm and the burning desire to “do a good job” regardless of the risk, and the law will come down in Sarah’s defense.
Inside of me is a part that wants to judge those producers, that wants to get on the self-righteous band wagon and scream, “Burn them!” I would suggest that these people are already experiencing the consequences of their choices, and it’s only going to get worse for them. They fucked up, and they know it. It was their responsibility to make choices that reduced the risk of harm to their crew. Instead, they made choices that led to the gruesome death of a beloved, young woman in the prime of her life. They made choices that caused massive injury to additional people. They made choices that created a pit of hell for themselves and others that will play out in the courts for a very long time. These two are just the latest examples to come from a long history of careless, self serving producers. The only difference is : they got caught.
There is sadness across the board on this one.

Anonymous • on Aug 19, 2014 12:25 pm

Paul, The only problem is that Miller and Savin seem to want to put this behind them so they can move on as filmmakers. This is evidenced by the contact to IA that they would continue filming Midnight Rider, being sued by Gregg Allman to stop it, and their lawsuit against New York Marine Insurance to get the funds to film, and that the suit reported they re-wrote the film to not focus on Allman. Not the behavior of people who are sorry. The wrath they are creating after the tragedy is their own creation. Most were quietly waiting on trial until they attempted to restart the film.

Paul Babin • on Jul 18, 2014 12:07 am

Some thoughts (cont.):
Those who are coming out of the grieving find themselves confronting questions about the “bigger picture”. What could possibly be the reason for such a “senseless” tragedy? And we find ourselves presented with choices. One choice is to remain in victim mode, ruminating in judgment, posting our righteous indignation on the Internet. Another choice is to look at the opportunities for meaningful change that did not exist before February 20, 2014 and become part of that change.
I wonder what Sarah would want?
My choice is to not succumb to the really strong pull that is coming from the “Burn them!” part of my consciousness. Instead, I’m going to admit that from the cosmic perspective, I don’t know why this happened.
I do know that Sarah’s death has galvanized the working class of this industry like no other. I was a camera assistant about Sarah’s age when the Twilight Zone incident came down. It was nothing like this.

phil • on Aug 1, 2014 12:23 pm

Come on Paul, they did not have a right, to be on the track without a permission, which, they did not have.

Anonymous • on Aug 19, 2014 12:35 pm

Paul, There was a very large movement of positive rememberance of Sarah, and focused on changing the film business for the better, that mostly set punishment of the criminals aside to be addressed by the authorities. This movement is strong and growing and planning positive solutions.

So long as Miller and Savin continue in their attempts to film, particularly in light of the very damning OSHA violations, they can expect a rather disgusted band of protesters.

Sarah is being remembered every day on film sets and will continue to be a great inspiration to many, because of the way she lived, to look out for each other.

Paul Babin • on Jul 18, 2014 12:08 am

Some thoughts (end):

My choice is to be open to the possibility that Sarah’s death will go down in history as a turning point in the movie business. The time when producers stopped the dangerous, “guerilla style” film making choices that put crews at risk. The beginning of the end of 14 hour work days that destroyed the health and well-being of their crew, and duh! – turned out to cost more money then it saved. The time when workers began to take responsibility for their own well-being by fearlessly communicating with each other, their union representatives and production.
I’m choosing to make Sarah’s death a call to start doing things differently, starting with me. Before being asked to step off the cliff, I’m going to ask questions and get very clear on “the safety net” production assures me is down there. I’m going to contact my union representatives if there is the slightest hint of bullshit in production’s answers. I’m going to get over my “I might get fired” cowardice and dialog with my crew; there is logic and strength in numbers. I’m going to donate time, or attention, or energy to the union local representing my craft, to make it a better organization, rather than continuing to tear it down through idle set chat.
Sarah’s death has instantly focused attention on vitally important issues affecting all of us who work on movies. How are you going become a part of the movement Sarah began? You can choose to immerse yourself in the Internet soap opera surrounding the hacks in the mug shots, or you can do something meaningful.
Being the change. It’s the only way to make sense of Sarah’s passing.
Paul Babin, S.O.C.

Anonymous • on Aug 19, 2014 12:45 pm

Paul, the “internet soap opera” is being created by the absolutely horrible behavior of the producers and executive producers of Midnight Rider after the tragedy. If they had kept the film on hold and kept their mouths shut pending trial, most people would have kept most of their focus on all of the positive efforts for change and rememberance. This tragedy, and the public circus that have followed are the creation and responsibility of the Midnight Rider producers.

The arrogance that lead to this tragedy is unconscionable. Make examples of them by prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law.

John Kelso, local 44 • on Aug 1, 2014 5:32 pm

The First AD is the safety Officer on the set unless the studio has designated someone else. 1st AD SHALL hold a safety meeting immediately prior to a stunt or gag that involves potential injury. The 1st AD was a 20 year LA Veteran. READ IATSE SAFETY BULLETIN #28. It covers all safety issues Rail Road. The Bulletin is on the IASTE International web site. Is a public Document. You can bet it will be an Exhibit in the Civil trial.

Anonymous • on Aug 19, 2014 12:49 pm

They also clearly and blatantly violated item #3 “Common Fall Risks” of the “General Code of Safe Practices”, which is also an OSHA violation for which they were cited.

Fortunately, OSHA has clearly cited the producers and made it clear that the film business has no imunity. The employer IS REQUIRED to create safety plans and to provide a safe work environment for employees. If they hire incompetent people who are willing to ignore known industry safety standards, they will still be held accountable. The fact that the DA did not charge the 1st AD likely means they feel it is more important to charge the main culprits, the producers, and use her testimony.